We’ve somehow managed to avoid watching so much as a second of this show, but we thought they both looked adorable in these pictures.

Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller on the set of their show, “Elementary,” in New York City.

Although we fail to see how those booties go with the rest of her outfit.

How is it Jonny Lee Miller can alternate so easily between hot and bland? He’s either one or the other, depending on his mood, or the quality of the light, or whether he’s getting enough sleep or something.

Because Miller and Liu have a great nonsexual but close relationship, and the mysteries range from “eeh” to “surprisingly good” – and best of all, nobody on the show has to Carry the Idiot Ball just to make Sherlock Holmes look brilliant.

CommentsByKatie

Carry the Idiot Ball – great descriptor. It reminds me Law and Order Criminal Intent; the one detective is cocky and right about EVERYTHING and the other detective just has to stand there.

drdarke

Heard it from my niece, who read it on TV Tropes, @CommentsByKatie:disqus .

I thought it fit CASTLE rather too perfectly myself – how two supposedly-smart people as Castle and Beckett can constantly be so stupid is beyond me.

I honestly never got that from L&O: CI – while Goren was clearly brilliant, Eames was a perfectly intelligent cop. She was just a bit less likely to go Out Of the Blue and Into the Black than her partner was, which the show presented as a good thing, generally….

ChelseaNH

I actually think of Goren/Eames as a prototype of the functional Holmes/Watson relationship in Elementary. It would be fun to see a female eccentric genius with a male (or another female) as the stabilizing influence for a change, though.

I miss L&O: CI. Some great acting from Vincent D’Onofrio (especially in the final season), even though it was clearly a killer to his health. Love, love that show!

CozyCat

Yes. What makes this and (the even better) “Sherlock” good is that both have excellent Watsons. As wonderful as the old Basil Rathbone films are, Nigel Bruce plays Watson as such an idiot that you can never figure out why Holmes would put up with him.

Note to TLO: you may want to start watching this show if only because Lucy Liu’s wardrobe is perfect casual chic. Given Ms. Liu’s success on the red carpet, I’ve wondered if she (or her stylist) chooses her clothes for this show as well.

Julie Chase

He totally has Nick Miller turtle face going on in that last photo of him.

“I HATE DOORS!!!”

Judy_S

I’m quite fond of the show (I love Sherlock, too) but Joan Watson’s closet tends to be kind of drab. However, Mrs. Hudson showed up towards the end of the first season and she is fabulous!

Guest

Because there’s nothing better than an hour of watching Lucy Liu think “I could be wearing Chanel.”

hughman

Oh crap, this was me. How did it become “guest”?

Coolekat

You changed from one computer to another. I’m logged in on my iPad but not on my laptop.

girliecue

Coolekat is right, but I think it’s also because Disqus likes being hateful to its users.

Aurumgirl

As if no one could tell it was you!

Diego!

I think he portrays an older version of Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory” in this show… I enjoy watching it, but he definetely needs to change a bit his Sherlock.

filmcricket

Hmm, that’s an interesting take on it. Mine was “It’s ‘House’ except he gets to keep his accent.”

formerlyAnon

I also think he gets to play a more emotionally mature character than House. Or gets to show more emotional growth than House. Or something. But there is a similarity in the angsty stubbly presentation.

drdarke

Well, Greg House was essentially Sherlock Holmes as a medical doctor, @6f669c3d5eb34b59c1cb0168fbcf3801:disqus …..

HOUSE made me want to see Hugh Laurie as Sherlock Holmes, and Stephen Fry as a Very Smart Watson.

Tatiana Luján

That would be awsome.

filmcricket

Yes, I know, which is why I didn’t really see the need for another one. I’d take your Fry & Laurie version of Sherlock, though – with either man in either role, actually.

Rhonda Shore

Based on all of this, i might have to watch this show!

tetisheri

In the 2nd Sherlock movie, you can see Stephen Fry as a Very Smart, Very Naked Mycroft Holmes. Does that count?

drdarke

It’s – close, @tetisheri:disqus , and yes, Stephen Fry would also be a great Mycroft Holmes.

Laura Stechschulte

Start out watching for the Jonny Lee Miller topless scenes just to admire the lovely view. Then watch for the stories, which are pretty darn fantastic.

RebeccaKW

I love the show, but man. When JLM has a shirtless scene, it’s like porn. Woof.

Sobaika

It really is a great show.

Lisa M. (ReVoir) Kramp

Agreed. He’s a hairy little satyr, isn’t he?

quiltwombat

He’s absolutely gorgeous – you are so right about the shirtless scenes – YUM! And I love the character so very very quirky. LOVE this show. TLo – you need need need to watch it.

everest19

I’m not even a mystery fan but I watch the show because I strongly support the idea of Lucy Liu being on my television on a weekly basis. May she continue to bless us with her light for years to come, Amen.

deathandthestrawberry

You know, I’ve never watched this show either, and I probably should because I like Lucy Liu. I originally stayed away over loyalty toward Sherlock (why remake it?), but then I just forgot it was on.

I’ve always thought that Holmes is a sociopath. He fits the definition of one perfectly. It doesn’t make him a bad man. He just is.

drdarke

But Sherlock Holmes isn’t a sociopath, @tetisheri:disqus – he’s tightly focused, only partially socialized (he has impeccable company manners, but still doesn’t see why he shouldn’t conduct target practice in the sitting room!) and arrogant as Lucifer, but he has a finely-honed sense of justice, of knowing and deeply caring about the difference between Right and Wrong. Sociopaths don’t care about anything outside of their own needs and wants – other people aren’t real to them the way they are to themselves.

A sociopath couldn’t maintain a close friendship with Watson, which involves give and take – which is how Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes, but not how Sherlock Holmes is, at all.

tetisheri

Hmmm… Good things to think about.

When I’ve read the stories, and I will admit it’s been 5+ years, I’ve always seen him as sociopathic. I’ve always seen it as part of who he was, and it never detracted from the stories for me.

I’ll have to go reread them this week with what you said in mind.

Tanzina Ahmed

A close friendship with Watson? Are we talking about the same Sherlock who drugged Watson when Watson explicitly told him not to and who talks down to and condescends at Watson every chance he gets?

The show makes a big deal of every time that Sherlock treats Watson with the least bit of kindness… but 90% of the time, Sherlock is a total ass to Watson. (And pretty much everyone else around him.) Far from seeing them as being in a close friendship, I see these two being trapped in a horrible co-dependent relationship that makes Sherlock seem like a towering ass and Watson seem like some sort of abuse victim.

drdarke

Their relationship is – evolving, @tanzinaahmed:disqus.

deathandthestrawberry

Oh. I think you misunderstood my comment! Or maybe you replied to the wrong one.

Personally, I think Cumberbatch is funny-looking, but my daughter crushes on him big time. I do like him as an actor.

drdarke

Wrong post, @deathandthestrawberry:disqus – sorry.

deathandthestrawberry

No problem!

Tanzina Ahmed

I am so with you. I like Cumberbatch as a performer and don’t even find him as hideously ugly as some do (he’s just… y’know, okay) — but oh my god, I cannot STAND Sherlock! He’s just SUCH an arsehole to basically everyone around him, even his ‘friends.’ So what if he cares about his land-lady and calls John his friend and shows the occasionally (very occasional) flash of being a human being? Most of the time, he’s off throwing tantrums, demanding the whole world caters to his whims, has the emotional maturity of an angry 2 year old, slut-shaming women who DARE to either try to catch his eye (poor Molly) or get upset with his stupid antic (hey Sally), or just being the most gigantic prat imaginable.

And I’m not even amazed by his ‘brilliance,’ given that it’s propped up by making practically every other character on the show (save Moriarty, his obsessed ‘rival’) look like idiots. Does John ever do anything half-way clever after the pilot? Do any of the police officers do anything clever EVER? Even Irene Adler — the woman who out-wit him in canon — ends up being a dupe for Moriarty and Sherlock alike.

Sorry for the sudden stream — I just dislike BBC Sherlock THAT MUCH!

drdarke

Well, John did have the wit to follow him and shoot the bad guy in “A Study in Pink”, which gave me hope he wouldn’t be Nigel Bruce redux, @tanzinaahmed:disqus. Then they proceeded to tap-dance all over that in the next two episodes….

not_Bridget

So, tell us why you really like Elementary. Or, do you?

Tanzina Ahmed

I’ve left a message about that buried somewhere here. But in short: a far more human, likeable but still occasionally prattish Sherlock, a great platonic relationship with Watson, a strong, intelligent Watson who will not put up with Sherlock’s shit, great side-characters who get a chance to shine and show off their own smarts, and one of the most bad-ass and surprising final villains I’ve seen on network tv. And great chemistry between all of the acting crew, honestly!

not_Bridget

It’s amazing how many people like Elementary just because it gives them an opportunity to explain just how much of a homophobe, racist & misogynist Moffat is. Most of us don’t see him that way and are quite glad that the last episode of the next series of Sherlock will go into production very soon.

Congrats to Cumberbatch for the Emmy nomination for the most excellent Parade’s End.

I might catch the elementary show the way I do most procedurals–when it shows up on TNT….

julnyes

As a gigantic (BBC) Sherlock fan I say WATCH ELEMENTARY!! Well I am just a nut for Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in almost any iteration.

The more Sherlocks and Watsons we get to see in the world the better!

Additionally I have to say I love the way they have built the relationship for Watson and Holmes in Elementary. You truly see it develop over time. The cases started out a bit blah, but they have steadily improved over the season. It is not a remake or a rip-off of BBC Sherlock. It is another lovely take on an iconic story.

filmcricket

That must be one of the least flattering outfits Lucy Liu has ever worn.

I still can’t get into Elementary, either. It’s just sooooo exposition-heavy; I think cable shows like The Wire and Mad Men have spoiled me for shows where every second line is explaining something to the audience. Maybe I’ll try mainlining it – is it on Netflix?

fursa_saida

SUPER LATE, but I agree that it starts slow. I think it’s definitely worth hanging in there, though–by the end of the season I was a total wreck.

majorbedhead

Don’t bother watching it, not if you’ve watched Sherlock. I saw a couple of episodes. It was forgettable.

It makes me question if Moffatt’s the right choice to showrun DOCTOR WHO….

formerlyAnon

I like both shows, but they’re different in tone. And I have slowly developed a very unexpected fondness for Martin Freeman’s appearance and for Watson as he plays him. (Freeman is almost the antithesis of my supposed “type.” I ought to be admiring Cumberbatch, but he leaves me cold.)

drdarke

Freeman’s the only part of SHERLOCK I like, @78fc1082168eeb0bffd975dd8876d0f7:disqus .

IMNAngryLiberal

I watched the first episode of Sherlock Holmes and really, really liked Freeman’s take on Watson, but halfway through the second episode I realized I could not stand Cumberbatch’s insufferable Holmes. I was stunned — STUNNED I SAY — when I discovered Cumberbatch had a rapid fandom out there.

CommentsByKatie

I always go for the Cumberbatch types – misunderstood grumps like Snape and House are always my favorite. But I can’t stand his portrayal of Sherlock for some reason…it’s like the equation is slightly off. Too much arrogance and not enough sadness to make me root for him. Plus his hair is hideous.

Judy_S

I adore Cumberbatch’s Sherlock but Miller, who had to figure out how to play a Sherlock that would be quite different, is doing a wonderful job with the “sadness,” the generosity and humanity of the original Sherlock Holmes. I love it that one book (albeit a fat one written over many years) gives us two such different possible characters.

drdarke

I’m a lifelong Sherlockian, @CommentsByKatie:disqus – my parents got me SHERLOCK HOLMES FOR BOYS (a comically censored version of selected stories from The Canon) when I was ten years old, and the full unexpurgated Canon in hardcover when I was twelve – and I’ve loved Holmes & Watson ever since. To me, Cumberbatch’s problem (or maybe it’s Moffatt’s and Gatiss’s?) is that I never believe his Holmes is, to quote Watson, “the best and wisest man I have ever known” – more importantly, that he ever stands any chance of getting there!

Miller’s Sherlock Holmes is also deeply flawed, but he’s also aware of his flaws and makes (occasional, clumsy) attempts to rectify them. Him I could see becoming “the best and wisest man” this Watson has ever known….

Tatiana Luján

Why do you find it xenophobic?

savicevic

The horrendous Chinese mafia episode, probably? The ending of A Scandal in Belgravia?

Tatiana Luján

Really? The chinese mafia people weren’t portrayed as bad people because they were chinese, but because they were part of a mafia. And the ending of ASIB shows people who look like middle easterns willing to kill another person. Not because they were middle easterns, we don’t know why, but the story leads to believe many people could have interest in killing that person.
So if a foreing person does something bad in a show, the show is xenophobic?

savicevic

No, it’s because the show is playing into stereotypes, which may or may not be xenophobic, but it’s definitely harmful because “Sherlock” doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s part of a long history of poor media representation of minorities (or “foreigners,” if you want to refer to these caricatures of characters that way). Your excuses for why they are “bad people” (not because of their race, but because they just are!) don’t cut it, because you’re not interested in examining why the showrunner/writers/narrative specifically select these groups of people for their purpose in the story—it’s because they’re easy; they’re a shortcut. It’s easy to believe in the bad “Chinese mafia” and bad, burqa-wearing “middle easterners” beheading a woman. It’s the reason you’re not questioning the “we don’t know why”—you don’t need to because the story gave you the clues in their races.

Anne O.

You know, my knee-jerk reaction was to disagree but you’re totally right. I really like ‘Sherlock’, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and people internalize stereotypes they see on TV (or they simply get their preconceived notions reinforced). I doubt it was deliberate on Moffatt’s part, but it’s not exactly surprising from someone who justifies butchering female characters with “Oh, I just can’t write women”. REALLY?

drdarke

Yes – and yes, @cptjtk:disqus .

Tatiana Luján

ok, thanks @savicevic:disqus and @drdarke:disqus.

not_Bridget

They read about it on Tumblr….

drdarke

What’s a “Tumbler”, @not_Bridget:disqus ? Last I checked, that was something you could drink whiskey out of….

Trust me, I’ve been a Sherlockian for almost fifty years now, have a IQ in the triple digits and a quite-probably irrational dislike for Benedict Cumberbatch – so I don’t need social media to tell me what to think about SHERLOCK.

Anne O.

I can see insufferable, but why xenophobic?

drdarke

@cptjtk:disqus explained it above, @disqus_k4azsD7Cz9:disqus .

I really truly hope Moffatt and Gatiss are trying some kind of clever long-term rug-pulling stunt on their fondness for Asian supervillains and “brown people” thugs – kind of like how British writer Kim Newman often uses the racist tropes of Victorian Gentleman’s Adventure to highlight how those cultural assumptions still inform much of our adventure entertainment….

julnyes

I have to disagree with you. I love Sherlock and would still encourage people to watch Elementary.

I think you should give it another try, the show gets better as the season progressed.

MilaXX

Sure it’s a procedural, but it’s done well. Besides Lucy Liu is fab. I can’t forgive her the stank boot fad,but love her performance on the show.

Amy909

Stank boot! Does she ever age though?! Never really cared to check out the show until I caught a repeat a couple of months ago and actually enjoyed it! Love the chemistry between Liu and Miller and hope they keep it as friends!

kimmeister

Yes – I very much love that they haven’t been set up as love interests for each other, not even a little bit.

drdarke

Me, I’m ‘shipping Watson and Gregson, @260a627215472cd631210ce9f31e4edc:disqus and #@kimmeister:disqus ! I think Liu and Aiden Quinn have great chemistry, even though most of the time they don’t have any lines together….

RebeccaKW

And Detective Bell

drdarke

Bell needs a girlfriend who doesn’t turn out to be framing him at the end of the episode, @260a627215472cd631210ce9f31e4edc:disqus .

RebeccaKW

Me? Can it be me?

misstressofsylar

this is also one of the reasons why I love this show. I’m happy with them remaining friends. i’d probably stop watching if they get paired up

Frank_821

Yes I love how the villain in the season finale referred to Joan as Sherlock’s “pet”. Loved even more how that comment came back and bit them in the ass

RebeccaKW

I’ve read somewhere that the writers want them to remain platonic friends, as they are in the stories.

Gloriana Reginata

“as they are in the stories.”

You said that to make us laugh, right? Because even when I read them as a naive 16yo, the subtext, it shrieked.

drdarke

@Gloriana Reginata – as my Mom said when I asked if my two Great-Aunts (one of whom was actually my Great-Aunt’s roommate for the last fifty years!) were lesbians, “It’s none of our business if they are or aren’t – if they want to tell us, then they will.”

Until fairly recently, it wasn’t uncommon for two men or women who had no interest in marrying to share an apartment or even a house without exciting comment – David Niven and Errol Flynn shared a house through much of the Thirties, as did James Stewart and Henry Fonda when Fonda was between wives! That made it easy for same-sex couples to live as a couple without bringing torch-wielding mobs down on them, but in most cases it really was nothing other than two people uninterested in marriage for the sake of being married splitting expenses and having someone for companionship.

pookiesmom

Oh, I totally ship them as more than friends. But they have great chemistry, either way.

http://www.snoskred.org/ Snoskred

STANK BOOT

Honestly, anytime I see boots that colour, regardless of the context, I cannot help but think STANK BOOT. I’d like to thank you, Tlo, for breaking my mind in this unique way. 😉

http://joyouslifesf.wordpress.com Kiltdntiltd

I want his shoooooz!

kimmeister

Now you’ve just made me wonder, is there “typical” footwear that is worn with kilts?

http://joyouslifesf.wordpress.com Kiltdntiltd

With a tartan kilt, brogues, are most common for casual wear. In formal situations, either dress shoes, tuxedo pumps or Ghillie brogues are worn. That said, these days boots of most types are really common, and I have also seen kicks and sandals worn, as well.

Adriana_Paula

I saw a man with great legs in Inverness once, wearing a chambray shirt, kilt, and Timberlands. I almost passed out right there on the street.

http://joyouslifesf.wordpress.com Kiltdntiltd

(Smiling) What can I say? We kilted fellows do have that effect now and again.

msdamselfly

Johnny Lee is great in the show.

nannypoo

I have friends who love this show so I’ve watched a few episodes just to be a good sport. I think it’s awful. I love Lucy Liu for her style and her ability to make beautiful clothes look even more beautiful but she is not much of an actress, at least in this show. The scripts are bad, the plots are worse, all in all a waste of an hour.

ItsDicey

I agree wholeheartedly. The show falls flat for me.

CozyCat

The thing about LL performance on this show is that it’s a subtle, long term thing. If you watch any of the early episodes she’s pretty bland. But as the series goes along she starts to come alive as she becomes more interested in detecting. That’s her story arc in the first season, and LL’s performance reflects it.

SusiePamudji

Because Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. That’s all you need.

Elizabeth Szubert

The show won me over with female Watson and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. Sure, it got a bit rough around the edges in the middle of the season, but the ending of season 1 was fantastic. Even if I did call the big twist out an episode before it was all revolved.

BerlinerNYC

The show is simply delightful. It had so many opportunities to be mediocre or jokey (like a typical CBS show), and it isn’t. LL’s character isn’t Sherlock, but she’s also damn smart, and it is a treat to get to see her on a weekly basis. Also, unlike these pictures (unfortunately), the show regularly showcases JLM’s beautiful furry forearms, which are a work of art unto themselves. He had me at forearm.

flamingoNW

I enjoy it. It’s mildly entertaining, kind of like her outfit. But it’s not one I would evangelize for.

mmebam

For the outfits? I don’t know; I don’t watch the show either. I’m team Sherlock. And those darned booties makes me sad. I was in her arms, otherwise.

IMNAngryLiberal

Honestly, you probably don’t want to watch it. I’m not a fan of the BenedictC Sherlock, so I was really looking forward to this. Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu are both quite good, i think, but the scripts never seem to reach the level of their performances. (And Lucy Liu is NOT the first female Watson, Joanne Woodward was — They Might Be Giants — go watch it right now)

drdarke

Yes, but Liu’s a much better Watson than Joanne Woodward was, @c9d8fd50e58ef2d500317671ae8c170f:disqus !

IMNAngryLiberal

Yes, you are undoubtedly correct, but I loved the movie They Might Be Giants and, as so few people seem to have heard of it, I like to recommend it whenever possible

drdarke

Okay, @IMNAngryLiberal:disqus – I’m not as big a fan as you are, but THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS is certainly worth watching, and George C. Scott as a crazy old judge who thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes is its own kind of brilliant.

RebeccaKW

I know it’s not for everyone, but I enjoy it. I like this modern interpretation and how they incorporate Sherlock canon into the story.

Joan Watson wears boots/skirts a lot. Near the end of the first season, it was winter so she wore tights, skirts, and boots. She does wear pants, but it’s not often. Also, Aidan Quinn is in it, as the police captain who calls in Sherlock for consults. And the man who plays Detective Bell. Lots of hotties.

GoryDetails

I haven’t watched the show myself, mainly because Miller has never warmed my cockles – and because, after “Sherlock” (and, of course, “House”) I’d rather ODed on Holmes-themed TV series in recent years. But I’ve heard that Sean Pertwee may be joining the cast next season as Lestrade, and I might tune in for that. (I’m still sad that Pertwee didn’t get cast as Lupin in the Harry Potter films, as he matches my mental image of the good professor exactly. Nothing against David Thewlis, whose other work I really enjoyed, but I didn’t see him as Lupin.)

Oops, I seem to have wandered off of the subject…

filmcricket

I always wanted Ewan McGregor for Lupin, but once they aged up the Marauders’ age group with Rickman and Oldman, darling Ewan would have been too young. Also, I know they weren’t casting Americans, but Tom Waits as Moody was a hugely missed opportunity, IMO.

Shawn EH

Harry Potter was one of the only times I’ve ever liked David Thewlis, I thought he was pretty amazing as Lupin.

RuthGo

I watch it but I wouldn’t make a big case for it. It’s one of those that I happily watch but if it were cancelled tomorrow, I’d be fine with that too. However, she has, hands down, one of the weirdest wardrobes on TV. I never understand her outfits. For her this is actually pretty put together.

cowper

Not even Lucy Liu can make those booties look good. I imagine her in the the second shot saying, “What did I do to tick off the costuming folks to end up in these?”

JP

I wanted to hate this show so badly, especially given how the first 2 episodes kind of ripped off shit from SHERLOCK, but damn if it didn’t grow on me. And JLM and LL are the reason why — they are great onscreen together. Dunno what’s with those boots, Joan usually dresses better on the show.

misstressofsylar

as a huge Sherlock fan, I’ve avoided this show for the longest time but somehow got hooked in when it started getting decent reviews in AV club..i gotta say, Liu’s reiteration of Watson is the best, even better than Freeman. plus i really love Clyde!

formerlyAnon

I like the show. There’s a good interplay between the two of them. Plus I think they’re both extremely attractive, which is always pleasant to watch.

Kate Andrews

It’s a great show! And there’s no need to catch up. Low commitment.

CeeQ

Sorry but I detest this show and after watching 2 whole episodes I was contemplating sticking wooden spoons in my eyes to save myself from further torture. It’s not the actors, they are great and have good chemistry together. And it’s not even a female Watson that’s the problem. It’s the whole premise of Sherlock and Watson and how the characters were developed – it was completely foreign to me as a fan of the literary Holmes & Watson. I didn’t recognise the characters I loved from the books. Don’t get me wrong – I am all for creative license in re-booting a classic for a modern take but in this specific case, I felt that there was too much changed resulting in totally different characters with barely a trace of themselves to identify with. It just didn’t work for me.

mjude

i was going to watch this show but never started & i must have got sucked into some bad realty tv. they both look great, except her stank boots.

marlie

The show’s alright. And I’ve realized that I LOATHE booties with skirts/dresses. LOATHE. Also, JLM does absolutely nothing for me.

MartyBellerMask

I never thought I would get into yet another Sherlock Holmes, yet I watch. I admit, I like shows that I can skip a couple weeks and still follow along. And it is somewhat lighthearted, not depressing.

That’s funny about JLM’s sexyness. I find him ridiculously sexy on Elementary (bringing back a many chest to our televisions, and he even makes me find tatoos hot, when I’m usually not a fan), restrained sexy (in that Austen approved way) as Mr Knightly on Emma, weirdly sexy as Sick Boy on trainspotting (no one has ever pulled off bleached hair as well since, he even made me forget my love of Ewan for a few seconds in that movie), and blandest man alive on Eli Stone. I’m not sure how he does that.

p.s. hmm, I’ve just noticed that the one I cited as bland is the only one where he has an american accent. Add that to the lighting and hours of sleep as a variable that determines his hotness I suppose.

Kimmu

You should watch it because it’s amazing and features probably one of the most interesting male and female relationships I’ve seen on television in a long time. I love how Joan is written, I love this take on Sherlock, it has an awesome multicultural cast and an amazing trans character, and it had an absolutely awesome take on Irene Adler.

You know, as opposed to Sherlock, which is frankly misogynistic and racist as hell.

RebeccaKW

Haven’t seen Sherlock, so I can’t comment there, but I 100% agree on your points about Elementary.

Shawn EH

I enjoy both shows, and both Watsons, but for different reasons. Actually, the Sherlocks are more divergent than are the Watsons, personality wise.

demidaemon

It may tend on how you interpret the original material. Once my English Survey professor introduced the possibility of Sherlock as gay, I have never really been able to see him as otherwise. If you take that interpretation to its hyperbolic conclusion, misogyny would be an appropriate trait.

Shawn EH

Except the BBC one has a very female, very seductive Irene Adler to cope with.

Tanzina Ahmed

BBC Irene gets introduced via ass-shot and ends her episode on her knees about to get executed by scary brown terrorists, only to be rescued by Sherlock. She’s basically both a sex-object and a damsel in distress. Not exactly all that empowering of a character.

Shawn EH

Well, I was replying more to the homosexual allusion than the misogyny assertion, so I don’t disagree with you that she was highly objectified.

Adriana_Paula

And it’s not as if the Sherlock of the original stories had a high opinion of women…

drdarke

No, he didn’t, @Adriana_Paula:disqus – nor did he, at least by our current standards, have a high opinion of non-Whites.

I’m not sure this is a side to him 21st Century writers want to be copying, if I’m honest….

Adriana_Paula

True! Not to harp on Jeremy Brett’s Holmes, but the advantage of being true to period is that I get to learn about the casual prejudices of Victorians in general and of Conan Doyle in particular when I watch. Putting it in a modern setting means you have to sweeten the character(s) significantly, or else perhaps alienate viewers.

drdarke

No, and I love Jeremy Brett’s Holmes a great deal, @Adriana_Paula:disqus .

Stella Zawistowski

I love her “DAFUQ?!” face and sunglasses. But man, do those boots look stanktastic.

Lisa M. (ReVoir) Kramp

I just got done bingeing the first season and I’m thoroughly smitten with it. JLM’s Sherlock is swarthy, manic, brilliant, hot and much more real and approachable than Benedict’s Sherlock, which I love for the exact opposite reasons. Lucy didn’t seem to have a good grasp on Watson in the pilot, but OMG she got better in every single scene. And if that doesn’t peak your curiosity gay uncles, I have two additional words for you. Aidan. Quinn.

Tatiana Luján

You shouldn’t watch it, it’s a boring show.

Akemi

I tried to watch it, but it just came off as another dull CBS procedural to me.

Frank_821

The show is entertaining and has evolved nicely. It’s not a deep show. Tonally it’s on par with Castle or Bones but without the romantic relationship. It’s different enough from other takes on the characters. I think the most interetsing part is the evolution of Joan Watson. She starts out someone who’s life was a mess but who found herself on a new path thanks to her friendship with Sherlock

Shawn EH

Also, Aiden Quinn hotness!

drdarke

::coughs::
I look at the feet!
Look at the locker!
Look at the feet!
Look at the locker!

Uh, what l meant to say, @disqus_tSuhBPWlFQ:disqus – yes, Quinn’s a good-looking middle aged man in a believable way. His youthful hunkiness has given way to a masculine solidity that’s he carries well, like a guy who takes care of himself though he’s clearly in his mid-Fifties, and not bothering to fight his age.

It’s easy to see how somebody could find that settled sense of manliness highly attractive….

drdarke

Uh, no, @Frank_821:disqus – I watch CASTLE and BONES as well as ELEMENTARY, and ELEMENTARY is also a much better written show than either (especially than CASTLE, which strands two extremely engaging leads in some of the worst “mystery writing” and “relationship writing” on television!).

Monabel

Don’t bother.

Monabel

You don’t have to watch yet another show based on some smug white boy being arrogant. She is lovely, but doesn’t get to slap him around.

Shawn EH

But she does surprise him from time to time.

NoveltyRocker

I know some booties are made of warmer materials but they’re open at the top and can still breathe well. If you wear them with light ankle socks, how is that any different than a pair of low top sneakers or slip-ons?

Candigirl1968

It seemed meh at first, but as the season went on, the characters got more texture, and so the lead up to the finale had some actual stakes. Their relationship evolved nicely, and there is a nice chemistry there. Worth having in your DVR for “I need something pleasant and not deep because it’s Sunday and I’m not trying to leave my couch.”

http://kathrynb.net/ Kate Borbas

Exactly, the show isn’t BBC Sherlock… but it’s not trying to be, it’s apples and oranges in my eyes. It’s just fun, it’s enjoyable, it’s like candy. I found I really like watching it before bed, because I don’t care much if I fall asleep… but that doesn’t mean it’s poorly done, I’d take this over any of those SVU/CSI murder-of-the-week shows any day.

GTrain

I LOVE this show. It’s well-written and acted (they have great chemistry) and I always learn some new little factoid from Sherlock’s brainstorming/witticisms.

Shawn EH

He’s very grumpy, she’s more emotive while looking the opposite … somehow, that’s their chemistry, and it works. He’s always trying to ruffle her, she is very unrufferable.

Onika K Morris-Alleyne

You’re missing out, it really is quite good. Almost ‘Good Wife’ good at times. It’s much more than a standard CBS procedural.

Cz

I LOVE THIS SHOW. It is really well written, but more importantly, great dynamic between Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. He is an amazing character actor (totally underappreciated, I think) and it’s so good to see Lucy in a strong female role. Also, her clothes are super cute.

I know the modernizing a classic concept is so overdone, but this one is well-done. Two thumbs up.

jilly_d

Watch it because JLM manages a portrayal of Sherlock that is at once brilliant, wounded, arrogant, caring, generous, and utterly insufferable. And because sometimes he takes his shirt off.

Adriana_Paula

I’m not crazy about the addiction-speak and the way Sherlock is “in recovery”: it seems like an interpretation of the canon designed to appeal to post-Oprah America. I think there are better, subtler ways to suggest his depth/woundedness than that. And Jeremy Brett will always be my Sherlock. That said, I can’t pretend I don’t enjoy Elementary; many things about it are well done and it doesn’t tax tired Thursday night brain cells too hard.

Gwyndall

Well, he WAS an opium user… makes sense for him to be in recovery.

Adriana_Paula

True, but I think in the canon generally he is portrayed as an occasional user rather than an addict who needs intervention; it’s a thin line I know, and I’m not suggesting that’s healthy behavior on his part. I think I object more to the way it’s handled on Elementary, which strikes me as bathetic, than to the fact of it.

drdarke

Actually, @Adriana_Paula:disqus, in “The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter” (in THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES), the story begins with Watson discussing his years of effort weaning Holmes off of seven-percent cocaine injections:

“Things had indeed been very slow with us, and I had learned to
dread such periods of inaction, for I knew by experience that my companion’s brain
was so abnormally active that it was dangerous to leave it without material upon which to
work. For years I had gradually weaned him from that drug mania which had threatened once
to check his remarkable career. Now I knew that under ordinary conditions he no longer
craved for this artificial stimulus, but I was well aware that the fiend was not dead but
sleeping, and I have known that the sleep was a light one and the waking near when in
periods of idleness I have seen the drawn look upon Holmes’s ascetic face, and the
brooding of his deep-set and inscrutable eyes….”

I think that’s a bit more than being an “occasional drug user” – and might be why ELEMENTARY decided to go with coming out of rehab as a way to get Sherlock and Watson together.

Nonmercisansfacon

The actors are good but the show is kind of bland. Nice, with some rough spots, got better as it went along but nothing extraordinary. In a TV landscape saturated with detective/cop shows (Bones, Castle, early seasons CSI, Person of Interest), this is nothing new. For all its flaws (that it partly shares with the books, Arthur Conan Doyle certainly wasn’t without his biais) and despite my love-hate relationship with Moffat, I find Sherlock more grabbing.

BrooklynBomber

I’ve never even heard of it! And I’m the booties make me feel I need a stiff drink.

decormaven

I know nothing of this show, but apparently the Bootie Coterie is paying off ALL the stylists in Hollywood. I swear, the new Royal Baby will probably be sporting a pair.

Tanzina Ahmed

Elementary is amazing! I admit that it mostly starts out as a routine procedural… but half-way through the season, in the 12th episode ‘M,’ the Moriarty plot-line kicks in and the show becomes AMAZING. (Seriously, if you don’t like the first half of the show, just watch the pilot and then skip to episode 12.)

The characters are amazing, Sherlock actually has a heart and soul to go along with his brilliance and wit, Joan is basically the most kick-ass (intellectually, not physically) Watson imaginable, their friendship is incredibly endearing without being treacly, the side-characters are awesomely fun and allowed to be bad-asses on their own, and the main villains are AMAZING. So much so that I can’t even tell you who/what/how they are revealed and work without giving away major spoilers.

Seriously, it’s such a great and under-rated show. If you love fantastic acting, good ensemble casts, a depiction of a loving but thoroughly platonic friendship and great plot twists involving kick-ass POC and women, you will end up LOVING this show.

amber.

1. Lucy’s outfit is too cute. Hate the shoes but the rest is golden.
2. Watch because it’s Lucy being one of the few WOC on primetime television and it’s a good show.

VicD

I love those boots – maybe not with the rest of it, but those would be the first thing on my wishlist from this outfit.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1180174329 Elizabeth Phillips

I’ve tried to get into it, but haven’t been able to. Maybe if I can start over again at the beginning and go from there, but there have been too many skips.

Puggermeg

I completely forgot that this show existing. But, I love me some JLM, so I may check it out. I finally got around to watching the BBC’s “Emma” adaptation on Amazon Prime, and he may have out-Northamed Jeremy Northam’s Mr. Knightly. Rawr. (And yes, in my world “out-Northamed” is an acceptable verb).

Shawn EH

Intensity is the right way to play Jane Austen, and JLM brought it!

Puggermeg

It’s all about the swoons!

newtonGOTbeaned

They dress Lucy Liu like an Angelino on this show, not a New Yorker. She wears lots of beach-y cardigans, like this one. It drives me nuts.

drdarke

I suspect the Costume Designer is going for “SoHo Bohemian”, @newtonGOTbeaned:disqus .

http://kathrynb.net/ Kate Borbas

This is the least chic she’s ever looked on this show, take even just a peek into one of the episodes and you’ll see how NYC Autumn-y cool her styling is on it. Nice leather jackets, loose layering with interesting knits, great boots… really, this looks like absolute shit, but it doesn’t speak to the styling on the show AT ALL. His style however never ever has a bad moment, even when you see him in a graphic tee. Ugh, watchhhh please.

jahphotogal

I’ve been waiting for YEARS for you to mention Jonny Lee Miller in a post! Thank you! He’s adorable!

Susan Carley Oliver

You should watch it because . . . Sherlock names a bee after her.

Stacy Feng

It’s not that good (Sherlock is so much better), but Lucy Liu is great in it. Personally, I think she carries the show.

I will say, Sherlock is focused so much more on Sherlock being a brilliant high-functing sociopath, whereas Elementary focuses much more on the human elements. Of course, it’s entirely influenced by the fact that Sherlock is 3 episodes a season, whereas Elementary had a 23 episode season.

fursa_saida

Okay, I know I’m 100 years late, but I love this show deeply and so I’m gonna stan for it anyway.

The show is an adaptation not in the sense that it retells the cases themselves, but because it adapts and focuses on the characters. (Also, they occasionally crib key passages from the books, but not in a jarring way.) I find the characters much truer to the books than in most adaptations, and because they have a long season they have a lot of time to go through some fairly subtle arcs with them. Both Holmes and Watson are coming back from a major personal failure (Holmes hit rock bottom with drugs; Watson lost a patient in surgery, quit doctoring, and is still torn up about it) so their journeys make sense together as an arc and make for some really powerful, honest moments of connection (as well, of course, as the necessary contrasts.) It’s nice to have a Holmes and Watson who are both starting out on basically equal footing.

The side characters are beautiful: Mrs. Hudson is a transwoman, played by an actual transwoman and treated very respectfully! The cops Sherlock works with are smart, competent, and sensitive most of the time (I mean, they’re still cops, but they’re not giant assholes as you so often see on Magical White Dude shows). The show in general is great about having a good mix when it comes to characters of color (not quite as much women, I’d say, but Joan is so incredible that I don’t mind too much). Their takes on Irene Adler and Moriarty are SPECTACULAR–I honestly think this is the only adaptation (that’s not 100% faithful to reproducing the original) that didn’t completely fuck up Irene to me.